1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic apparatus and a face image display method for displaying a face image which appears in video content data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electronic apparatus, such as a video recorder or a personal computer, is capable of recording and playing back various video content data such as TV broadcast program data. In this case, although titles are added to the respective video content data stored in the electronic apparatus, it is difficult for a user to understand, from the title alone, what kind of content each video content data has. In order to understand the content of each video content data, it is thus necessary to play back the video content data. In the case of playing back video content data of a long total time, however, even if a quick forward function or the like is used, a great deal of time is needed.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-309269 discloses an apparatus having an appearing person list display function. This apparatus has a function of displaying, in an arranged order, the face images of persons appearing in video content as a list of persons appearing in the video content.
In usual cases, many video content data include a plurality of kinds of attribute sections, such as a commercial section and other sections.
However, in the appearing person list display function of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-309269, no consideration is given to the attribute section, and the images of the faces of the appearing persons are simply displayed. It is thus necessary to realize a novel function of presenting, to the user, in which kind of attribute section each face image appears.
In addition, if the list of appearing persons is merely displayed as in KOKAI No. 2001-309269, the user cannot understand in which of time zones of the video content data such persons appear. It is necessary, therefore, to realize a novel function for presenting which persons appear in which time zones in the whole video content data.